Safety razor



Feb. 2, 1937. w. G. WALLENBECK 2,069,465

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Aug. 6, 1935 IN VENTOR. W/4L/AM. GW/ILLENBE'CK ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a safety razor construction adapted for use in shaving hollowed or depressed surfaces, for example, the arm-pits, where it is difiicult, if not impossible to do effective work with safety razors of the kinds ordinarily used on the face. To adapt it to the particular work contemplated, my improved safety razor comprises a base plate of substantially the length of standard safety razor blades, bent longitudinally to the general conformation of the surfaces to be shaved, a clamping plate having substantially the length of the razor blade and of the same general curvature as the base plate, and a screw carried by the handle of the device,

for holding the base plate and the mounting plate tightly against a razor blade between them, whereby the razor blade, which is thin and flexible, is caused to assume the same general curvature as the base plate and the clamping plate.

The base plate is provided with curved tongues extending laterally beyond the edges of the clamping plate to constitute guards for the opposite cutting edges of the razor blade, the clamping plate being fiat laterally, and somewhat narrower than the razor blade.

By my invention, I provide an improved means for aligning the base plate, the razor blade and the clamping plate with each other, to insure the proper relation of the cutting edges of the blade to the guards and to the edges of the clamping plate, which means consist of longitudinal ribs and grooves in the adjacent surfaces of the base plate and the clamping plate, cooperating with similar longitudinal slots in the blade, and tongues projecting from the concave surface of the clamping plate, through corresponding apertures in the blade, and into corresponding apertures in the base plate. As a result, the parts are held against displacement in any direction, when clamped together, the projecting tongues also serving to hold the blade in curved condition against the clamping plate by pressing the mid-portion of the blade against said plate, during the assembling of the parts of the razor, for example, after cleaning the same.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which 50 Fig. 1 shows my improved razor in assembled condition, in front elevation,

Fig. 2 shows the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, in side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the clamping plate re- 5 moved from the base plate of the razor, with a razor blade held in place on the clamping plate, by tongues extending from the latter,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 44,

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view of the parts 5 shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 5-5,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the base plate employed,

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view of the base plate shown in Fig. 6, taken along the line 1-1,

Fig. 8 is a side view of the handle removed 10 from the razor,

Fig. 9 is a plan view to an enlarged scale, of the razor blade removed from the razor, and

Fig. 10 is a bottom view to an enlarged scale, of the parts shown in Fig. 3. 15

Similar numerals refer to similar parts, throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my improved razor consists of a base plate ID, a clamping plate I I, a razor blade I2, and a handle I3, having the rela- 20 tion to each other illustrated in these figures, when the razor is in assembled condition.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 10, the clamping plate II is provided with longitudinal ribs II a, Ila to enter corresponding slots IZa shown in the razor 25 blade I2 in Fig. 9, to hold the blade laterally on the plate II. The plate II is also provided with a central threaded aperture I lb, to engage the threaded stud I3a shown in Fig. 8, as extending from one end of the handle I3. The ends of the 30 plate I I are recessed at I I0, No to permit engagement by the finger and thumb of the user, with the ends of the razor blade I 2, to remove the latter from the plate II when desired. The plate II is fiat laterally, and curved longitudinally to a 35 curvature substantially fitting the hollow surfaces to be shaved, the width of the plate being enough narrower than the width of the blade I2, to permit the cutting edges of the blade to engage the surfaces to be shaved. The length of 4 the plate II is substantially equal to the length of the blade I2, when the latter is bent longitudinally to fit the inner or concave surface of said plate, which is its position when assembled in the razor. 45

The clamping plate II is provided in line with the ribs I M, I la, and Within its ends, with tongues II 11, II d, extending inwardly from the concave surface of the plate, in directions substantially radial of said surface, as a result of which, said tongues, besides extending inwardly, also extend towards each other, to constitute hooks extending through apertures I212, I211, with which the blade I2, as shown in Fig. 9, is provided. The spacing of the tongues Ii d, lid from each other,

is substantially the same as the spacing of the apertures I2b, I2b from each other, as a result of which, when the blade is placed on the plate II, it is held in bent condition along the concave surface of the plate in a position facilitating the assembly of the remaining parts of the razor, the engagement of the slots I2a and apertures I2b of the blade by the ribs I Ia and tongues IId of the clamping plate I I, insuring that the blade will be in proper relation to the other parts of the razor for effective use, when the razor is assembled,

The blade I2 may be of any well known double edged fiat wafer kind, and is readily mounted on the clamping plate II, by laying it on the concave side of the plate and pressing its mid-portion towards and into engagement with the plate, which effects the engagement described of the ribs Na and tongues Hat, with the slots I2a and apertures I2b respectively. The blade is held in the bent condition described, against its spring tendency to flatten, by the tongues IId, until it is released from said tongues, which is readily done when desired, by pressing the ends of the blade towards each other in the recesses I la, I I0, thereby further bending the blade and giving it a sufficiently increased curvature to free it from the tongues I Id, in which condition it may be removed from the plate I I. As shown in Fig. 9, the blade I2 is provided with a central aperture I20 to permit the stud I3a to pass through it.

As shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the base plate I0 is provided along its edges adjacent the cutting edges of the razor blade I2 when in use, with projecting and curved tongues Illa, the width of the plate and the length of the tongues being such that the tongues extend outwardly beyond the cutting edges of the razor blade, to constitute guards to prevent cutting the skin when shaving. The base plate I0 is curved longitudinally to substantially fit the concave surface of the clamping plate I I, and said base plate is of substantially the same length as the razor blade I2. The base plate In is provided centrally of its convex surface, with longitudinal grooves IIlb, IlJb to receive the parts of the ribs Ila, II a projecting through the razor blade, and it is also provided with apertures I00, I00 to receive the ends of the tongues IId, 11. A central aperture Illd is formed through the plate In to receive the stud I3a.

In assembling the razor, the blade I2 is placed on the clamping plate I I in engagement with the tongues IIcZ, IId as described, the base plate I0 is placed against the concave surface of the blade I2, and the threaded stud I30, is passed first through the aperture IM and then through the aperture I20, and it is then screwed tightly into the aperture IIb, tightly clamping the blade I2 between the base plate I0 and the clamping plate II.

The plates ID and II are preferably of any suitable metal of sufficient thickness and stiffness to retain their shape for all conditions of use to which the razor may reasonably be subjected. The handle I3 may be of any suitable material, whether metal, wood, composition, or otherwise, the only requirements being that it shall be serviceable, and be provided with the threaded stud I3a described, which is preferably of metal for the purposes set forth.

By holding the blade I2 on the clamping plate II in the manner described, it will be observed that there are no parts of the blade holder, that extend outwardly beyond the edges of the razor blade, in a manner to interfere with the effective use of the cutting edges of the blade, particularly at the ends of said cutting edges, which is a great advantage where the shaving must extend into angles or corners. It will also be observed that my razor consists of a minimum number of simple parts, readily separable from each other, and readily cleanable.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a safety razor, the combination of a base plate of metal bent longitudinally to the curvature of concave surfaces to be shaved and having central longitudinal ribs projecting from its concave surface and corresponding grooves in its convex surface, a flexible razor blade having a central longitudinal slot through it shorter than the length of said blade and having enlarged openings at its end and mid portions, a clamping plate of metal bent longitudinally to substantially the curvature of the base plate and having central longitudinal ribs extending from its concave surface into the slot in said blade and in alignment with the grooves in said base plate, said clamping plate having grooves in its convex surface opposite its said ribs and having also tongues formed from it at the ends of its said ribs and projecting through said end enlarged openings in the razor blade, said base plate having apertures at the outer ends of its said ribs to receive said tongues, said base plate having bent guard tongues extending from its longitudinal edges, a clamping stud extending through said plates and said blade, and a handle extending from said stud.

WILLIAM G. WALLENBECK. 

